Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I'm Dreaming Of A White Chocolate Blueberry Scone

...just like the ones I used to know.

Remember last Fall when I had dreams of pumpkin that resulted in the fabulous Pumpkin Spice Cake with Honey Frosting? Well I did it again. Only this time I dreamt of white chocolate chip blueberry scones. Oh, yes I did.

And I'm not even sure why. I just woke up and said "I want white chocolate chip blueberry scones" and my husband turned over and looked at me like I was nuts. I've never been a scone eater because the ones I have had were dry or rock hard or just plain flavorless and bland. So when I started craving these I knew I had to find THE perfect recipe. I couldn't screw it up.

I googled my interest and all the recipes that came up were for the same recipe from Cook's Illustrated. And every one of the sites claimed that these were "the best" scones ever- a recipe that would not disappoint. And they didn't. My addition of the white chocolate chips (why not?) only made them better. They were light and fluffy and moist. The white chocolate added a bit of sweetness but it was subtle. The lemon zest resulted in a nice perfumey-ness and added a complex note to these scones. Not one flavor stood out over the other, the flavors meld together in perfect harmony. I'm posting this recipe now so you'll be prepared this weekend to make them. They're that awesome. This raspberry version looks great too!

Just a note before you start: It is important to work the dough as little as possible—work quickly and knead and fold the dough only the number of times called for. The butter should be frozen solid before grating. In hot or humid environments, chill the flour mixture and work bowls before use. While the recipe calls for 2 whole sticks of butter, only 10 tablespoons are actually used (see step 1). If fresh berries are unavailable, an equal amount of frozen berries (do not defrost) can be substituted. An equal amount of raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries can be used in place of the blueberries. Cut larger berries into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces before incorporating.

1. Adjust an oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Score and remove half of the wrapper from each stick of frozen butter. Grate the unwrapped ends on large holes of box grater (you should grate total of 8 tablespoons). Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside. Save remaining 6 tablespoons butter for another use. Place blueberries and white chocolate chips in freezer until needed.Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed.

4. Turn the dough and any floury bits onto a well floured work surface. Lightly flour your hands and the dough and knead the dough gently 6-8 times until it just holds together in a ragged ball, adding additional flour as needed to prevent sticking.

5. Roll dough into approximate 12-inch square. Then fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to counter top. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes.

6. Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll again into a 12-inch square. Sprinkle blueberries and white chocolate chips evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll up dough, pressing to form tight log, and pinch the seam closed. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles.

*Refrigerate or freeze leftover scones, wrapped in foil, in an airtight container. To serve, remove foil and place scones on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven. Heat until warmed through and recrisped, 8 to 10 minutes if refrigerated, 16 to 20 minutes if frozen.

To Make Ahead: After placing the scones on the baking sheet, either refrigerate them overnight or freeze. When ready to bake, for refrigerated scones, heat oven to 425 degrees and follow directions in step 7. For frozen scones, heat oven to 375 degrees, follow directions in step 7, and extend cooking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

Ok, They lood YUMMY!!! I will have to wait to make them; we are going on a sleigh ride this weekend in NH....BUT will try them next week. I have to say that I'm not that great at baking anything that needs rolling out....Any tips?? Katie

in the back of my mind I've had a tally on where to find the best recipe for blueberry scones. I'm a huge scone lover, but am not that great at making them. I need to pratice more.You did a PERFECT job on these. The addition of the white chocolate is pure genius. I must try these. If you like them, then they must be good.

I've never made scones. Your photos are making me scratch my head and wonder why. Speaking photos yours are fantastic. Especially the ones with the blueberries and white chocolate chips!~ingrid

Btw, I have to tell you that the coke a cola cake was great. I personally really, really liked it and I don't like chocolate cake. and the frosting? Again, I don't like chocolate frosting but MAN was it good. I'll be making that again! THX!

I just found your blog and I wnat you to know that I AM IN LOVE!!!The scones look awesome, sadly I can not get white chocolate chips here in South Africa, I guess I will have to make my own! Cant wait to try this out.Have a Great Day!

Unlike the other posters, I actually did make these and I am pretty disappointed. You didn't state in your recipe when you were supposed to add the milk and sour cream (though I did figure it out). Also, when and how was I supposed to add the rest of the butter? You know, the other 6 tbsns you said to set aside until after?? And I would have been nice if you would have included more detail about pressing the ends closed once you have transferred the scones to the baking sheet (or at least stating that we should bake them without any spaces in between them). Mine literally have spilt out all over the baking sheet. Not very pretty. And it actually seems like there is too much filling in these. The don't resemble scones because of this, but instead some sort of berry explosion with a tiny crust on top. Taste isn't anything special either. I was expecting these to turn out great from all the praise you were getting... Maybe your followers should try your creations and point out faults within your recipe before posting glowing comments.

Witherses- I'm sorry you were disappointed in the final outcome of this recipe, however I don't understand why you're being so rude about it.

I'll start to answer your questions as best as I can.

The first one states that I didn't say when to add the sour cream mixture. In step 2, it says to refrigerate the sour cream and milk until needed. In step 3, it says to "Fold in the chilled milk mixture". But I assume that was an oversight on your behalf, so I forgive your accusations.

The second question is asking about what to do with the rest of the butter: At the beginning of the recipe, where it says in bold "Just a note before you start:" it also says "While the recipe calls for 2 whole sticks of butter, only 10 tablespoons are actually used (see step 1)" and in step 1 it says (also in BOLD) "Save remaining 6 tablespoons butter for another use." Sorry if that wasn't clear enough for you.

You also seem to be upset that I didn't give enough detail on how to seal the ends. In step 6, I state " Roll up dough, pressing to form tight log, and pinch the seam closed." Pretty self explanatory. I didn't say they needed to be baked "without any spaces" because they don't need to be. They should be placed on the baking sheet as you would bake anything else, with space in between.

"Maybe your followers should try your creations and point out faults within your recipe before posting glowing comments." Their comments are about the final product. They are about the appearance and the ingredients used in the recipe. Their comments are not about the technique and taste. Again, why are you being so rude just because in your opinion they weren't a success?

Somehow, we followed the same recipe and there were different outcomes. As with all things in life, nothing is perfect. If you didn't like these, blame the recipe creators or just don't make them again. I am not the only one to have ever made this recipe. And I am not the only to to have added white chocolate chips to the scones either. And I'm sure you're not the only one who didn't like them, but please stop pointing fingers. If you needed help or had questions about the recipe, you should have asked. I would have been here to help.

I am sitting here astonished at the audacity of that poster. How incredibly rude and unnecessary. You are a very patient person to have answered his/her questions regardless. These look great, and I will try them this weekend for mothers' day :)

Monica,This might be a stretch, but I'm a vegan and I made this recipe completely vegan. I subbed Earth Balance for butter, soy milk for milk, vegan sour cream and vegan white chocolate chips and they turned out BEAUTIFULLY. I didn't have high hopes at all, but this is now my go-to scone recipe. I don't even like scones that much, but I had those vegan white chocolate chips and some of the delicious blueberries that get grown in our wonderful Republic of Texas, so I had to try out out. It takes a bit of work to make them, but everyone I pawned these off on was "omg"-ing through their full mouths of scones. Success! Thank you again. And for all of you vegans out there - it can be done! xoxo

I've had blueberry & white chocolate scones before and oddly enough (like you) was randomly craving them a few days ago. A google search brought me to your blog and your scone recipe. My mom and I baked them together tonight and they were just lovely. Fresh baked goods with blueberries are one of my weaknesses and these were heavenly.

Can I also say that I do not care to bake or cook (though I suffer and do it because I know it's good for my family) and your site MAKES me want to bake and cook? There are many things here that I want to try; your newest picture at the main page of the blog with the caramel, apples, and candy bits has me planning a special trip to the grocery store tomorrow for the fixings so my kids and I can make them! Anyway, I'll be back, because you have me inspired! :)

Ellen, Thank you so much for leaving this comment. I'm so glad tht I have inspired you to get in the kitchen and bake with your mom and make caramel apples with your kids. It's not always about how great the food turns out (though that's always a bonus!) it's about the memories you create together. Thanks for sharing your experience with me.

I hope I can continue to be an inspiration. Have fun with it. And I'm glad ou liked the scones :-)

Yummy! Loved them. My dough was super sticky so I had to add a bit more flour but it was one of the easiest scone recipes ever. I would recommend only a cup of blueberries and add a few more chocolate chips but they turned out great. Only other problem was that the temp of the oven was too high so the bottoms cooked too quickly.

I'd like to thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. I found it a long time ago while searching for the perfect recipe, but was intimidated by the steps not to mention that I've never succeeded in scone making. Today, I've finally built up enough courage to try it and it was a great success! My family loved it, and all that I heard was "Mmm-Mmm..." while they were eating it. I'll be trying the soft chocolate chip cookie next, and I've visited Jeanette blog. Love her humor and her dogs. Thanks again, I truly appreciate all your effort.

I've made these 3 times now. They are fantastic. I used 18% cream in place of the milk and used wild blueberries. Also made a lemon glaze with lemon juice and icing sugar and once cooled slightly brushed the glaze onto the scones. Everyone loved them. This is a keeper for sure.

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Welcome To My Blog

My name is Monica and I'm a stay at home mom living in central Texas. I like to cook, but baking is my passion. I am an (obsessive) collector of cake stands, cookbooks and bakeware. I make lots of yummy treats and often share my sweet creations with friends, family and anyone else who is willing to be my guinea pig. I have lots of recipes in the archives so I hope you'll stick around for awhile!

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